Hawks’ Magic City Atlanta tribute canceled, fans and partners respond
Jami Gertz, a Hawks part owner who produced a five-part docuseries about the club, had helped frame a celebration of magic city atlanta as an “iconic cultural institution. ” The NBA canceled the planned promotion that was to coincide with the Hawks’ game against the Orlando Magic, saying it was responding to concerns from many across the league.
Hawks fans and staff adjust after elements of the promotion change
The Hawks said they were “very disappointed” by the NBA’s decision but that some parts of the night will remain. The team confirmed a halftime performance from rapper T. I. will still take place and that lemon pepper wings associated with Magic City will be sold at the game. The franchise also said it will continue to celebrate Atlanta “with authenticity. “
Magic City Atlanta promotion: what the NBA canceled
The NBA moved to cancel a themed celebration tied to Magic City Atlanta that had included merchandise, food, music and a live podcast recording. The event had been planned for March 16 during a game against the Orlando Magic, and the league said it had reached out to Hawks leadership to “better understand their plans and rationale. ” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he had heard “significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees, ” and that canceling the promotion was the right decision for the broader NBA community.
Luke Kornet and reactions from Jami Gertz, T. I. and others
Luke Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs publicly urged the Hawks not to go forward with the promotion, writing that allowing the night to proceed “would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community” and could be seen as complicit in the “potential objectification and mistreatment of women. ” That stance drew criticism from former host Michelle Beadle, who called Kornet a “White Knight” and argued that Magic City is not simply a strip club and that the people involved were grown women with jobs. Jami Gertz had described the collaboration as “very meaningful to me” after her work on the docuseries “Magic City: An American Fantasy, ” which explored the club’s history and cultural place.
Plans tied to the night were mixed. The Hawks had announced themed merchandise and a live podcast featuring owner Jami Gertz, T. I. and Magic City founder Michael Barney; those elements were among the parts the team said would be scrapped. At the same time, the team said a “full array of award-winning culinary options, ” including the signature lemon pepper wings, would remain available.
Some reactions were supportive of a celebration of the club’s place in local culture, and others voiced opposition. The league framed its intervention as a response to a range of concerns from “fans, partners and employees, ” and the Hawks said they respected the NBA’s decision while remaining committed to uniting the community.
For now, the confirmed next developments are concrete: the halftime performance from T. I. will go ahead at the Hawks’ scheduled game, and lemon pepper wings linked to the club will be sold at the arena. The items the team had planned to offer as merchandise and the live podcast recording will not take place as initially announced.
Gertz, who helped produce the docuseries about the club, remains publicly tied to the project and to the idea of celebrating the club’s impact on the city. On the night in question, fans will still find a halftime stage with T. I. and concession stands offering the lemon pepper wings that had been a named element of the Hawks’ plans.
